The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-02
A LESSON IN LIGHT-MAKING
The Principle of Electric Illumination
Illustrated in Court.
Novel but Very Interesting Scene Intro
dIced in the Trial of the Case InvolV-
ing Electric Light Patents.

There was a very pretty picture on the south
wall of the federal grand jury yesterday
afternoon The lower portion looked like pict-
ire of the crater of an extinct volcano, except
that the snow which generally covers the out
ride of crater replaced by hight The eff
Feet was very peculiar. The particles Of light
we're in motion. There would be a little up-
heaval on the surface and fragment of light
would break off and run away, sometimes up
the cone and sometimes down. Now a particle
would become entirely detached and shoot up
down like Roman candle, al
ways returning to the cone. however. Just
above it was another cone tipped with light. but
instead Of ending IN . cavity like the crater it
ended in butson-shaped tip which appeared
formed to fill the cavity below It glowed with
an intense white light, but shaded off on either
side to a rosy-tiDted light like that below and
the particles of this rosy light were moving
about In the same erratic manner as those on
the lower cone Between the two was an oval
OF sky blue light which appeared to be passing
constantly from the upper to the lower
cone. Nearly always it passed di-
recty into the crater cup, but
occasionally there was a Sizing sound and
the blue light shifted to one side or the other
At the same time the crater would gradually in
cline TO the same side, as if determined to catch
and hold the blue stream that was pouring
down. but soon the blue would move back and
she crater would go after it. It was an example
OF natural beauty. No art education was neces-
sary for its appreciation. People who had not
the slightest idea OF perspective. and could not
tell the difference between still life and
chiar-oscuro Involuntary stopped as they
caught sight of it and exclaimed, Isn't that
pretty"
It was simply picture Of the combustion of
the carbon points of an electric light. The light
burning fifteen twenty feet away, and
projected the through a Tense
which magnihed it sixty seventy times OF
course the picture was inverted, the crater cone
being the upper carbon point. The apparatus
part of the illustration of the electric light
~principle. and was there to llumine The mind of
Judge Gresham in the great case of the Brush
Eectric-light Company against Owen, Pixley
81 Co.
What is the exact point involved in this case,
II 1t can be stated in tho limited space of news
~paperF' asked a Journal reporter of Mr.. Leggett,
shaattorney for the plaintiffs.
'ISiS, said he. 'the application of hig and
low resisIaHce magnets TO the moving feed
ing carbon or the lam p The use of these two
magnets makes It possible for any number Of
lamps to be burned in series-that is to say.
On wire and with single dynamo. Mr..
Brush 10 the pioneer inventor of the series sys-
tenn of eleetric-lighting. Before him 40 person
had succeeded in burning more than one lamp
a single circuit"
ance maenetsl'
.sThe names refer to their adaptability for
carrying an electric current. This spool, wrap
ped with coarse WIRE is 8 low resistance, and
this one with fine wire is hieh-resstance mag
net. The use of the two together makes pow
erfUl current The effect is the same if both are
wrapped on the same SPOOL In that t is
called differential electro magnet But whether
on one spool or on two spools the union of the
two magnets makes differental lamp"
docs the electric power come from the mag
netsl"
'Oh. no; it only passes through them That
Is what makes them magnets. Let me show |
ycu. Here Is an axial magnet; that is, one with |
a hole through the center of the SPOOL Let me |
take your knife. Now l will turn the current |
On and see what it does" At the word he held |
the knife to the lower part of the spool. and it
sprung from his fingers into the hollow center of |
the magnet, where it remained suspended in the |
alr. not touching the magnet On taking hold |
of it and pulling down. there a resistance
like that of a strong spring, but it decreased as
the knife came down. and little effort was re-
quired TO remove 1t. A heavy bar of iron held |
TO the magnet moved in the same way. Mr..
Legeett then cut of the current, and the bar at
once fell to the floor.
Now l will show you the difference between
the power of this and of a soid-core magnet"
he resumed. and slipping short bar of iron
into the hollow Of the magnet he fastened it
with q clamp. When the other bar was touched
to it. il adhered firmly, and strong pull
necessary to detach The springing motion
was gone. Unclamping the upper bar. it was
found that the attraction was great enough to
support both bars. but when the lower one
pulled down il brought the upper with it
entirely beyond the influence of the magnet,
whereupon the upper bar fell over of its
weight and dropped to the floor.
lis the point you have mentioned all there is
In this casel" asked the reporter.
THAT is all. Il seems like little thing, but
it is a question of vast importance. All this
mass of evidence printed IN these books was
taken to decide that question, and that is the
question which it will take several DAYS to
argue. This il a very important case. On it
eventually will depend whether the Brush
pany shall hold the exclusive use OF this system
or il shall be thrown open to the world"
''How many speeches will be made in the
gumsEtr
"Orly three have been arranged for. I open
the case; Mr.. r. S. Taylor of Fit Wayne re-
plies; and Mr. G. E. Mitchell of New Britain
will close. FL. A Seymour. of Washington;
Gen NJ. d. Leggett. of Cleveland. ana Melon
AID & Butler. of this city, of counsel for the
plaintiff. do not know whether any one is
associated with Mr.. Taylor not"
The grand jury room looks more like Edi-
sonan workshop than court There four
electric lights in position, supplied with cleo
tricity by wires brought up from the street A
black board, a great stack of charts and draw
ings, and q number of magnets, coils, burners
and other apparatus that is beyond ordinary
ken complete the furniture of the room. It is
said by those who know that the argument will |
be one Of the most exhaustive expositions of the
entire science of electric lighting that has
been made.
WHERE RAD ROYS ARE MADE coon